Printing mechanism for meter mailing machines



. PERssoN Aug. 26, 1958 PRINTING MECHANISN FOR METER MAILING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Aug. 26,l 1958 E. PERssoN 2,848,942

PRINTING MEcMANIsM EoR METER MAILING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 ATTURNEY United StatesV Patent PRINTING MECHANISM son METER. MAILING MACHiNEs Ernest Persson, New York, N. Y., assignor to The International Postal Supply Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,231

13 Claims. (Cl. 101--227) The present invention relates to improvements in printing mechanism for postage registering meters, labeling machines and the like, hereinafter generally called meter mailing machines. More particularly, it relates to a mechanism for selectively printing envelopes or labels ready to be aixed to metered envelopes.

The printing mechanism of this invention includes means for feeding a continuous length of tape and cutting the tape into individual labels, the feeding and cutting of the tape and the printing of the cut labels being elfected in a continuous operation.

It is one object of the invention to provide a compact and rigid printing unit, including tape feeding and cutting mechanism, which makes it possible to operate the meter mailing machine at full capacity. s

It is another object of the invention to provider tape feeding and cutting means which eliminate the usual waste of tape caused by retraction of the tape when the same is printed prior to cutting, by jamming and by tearing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a more spacious arrangement' for the tape cutting mechanism to assure a more ecient and reliable cutting operation.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide means for the selective operation of the feeding and cutting mechanism of the tape, or feeding of theenvelopes to the printing mechanism.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are generally obtained by providing, in combination with a printing device of a meter making machine: a tape feeding system, a cutting mechanism arranged to cut the tape fed thereto into individual labels, means for feeding the cut labels to the printing device, and means for selectivelyV actuating the tape feeding and cutting meansto supply labels to the printing device, either the labels or the envelopes being printed by the printing device depending on the position of the selective actuating means.

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed, description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, taken-in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the meter mailing machine attachment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly exploded, showing the attachment with a fragment of the adjacent side wall of a postage registering machine.

Referring now to the drawing, the tape feeding and cutting mechanism is shown enclosed in a casing formed by side walls 22 and 22a, end wall 71 and cover wall 70. In the exploded perspective view, cover wall-or platform 70 and end wall 71 are shown removed from the side walls to permit a better view of the working mechanism, it being understood that these walls form a unitary casing for the mechanism. The essential controlmembers of the apparatus are exteriorly arranged on side wall 22a, thus providing easy accessibility' for the operator of the machine.

2,848,942 Patented Aug. 26, 1.958

`ICC

Side wall 22 is longer than side wall 22a and carries at its protruding end housing 1 of the tape supply roll. It is formed with arcuate cut-outs 22 and 22b vwhich form bearings for tape feeding shaft 7 and printing platen 23, respectively, the latter being a part of the postage registering meter, as will be more fully described hereinafter. While the shaft interacts with the tape feeding and cutting mechanism of the present invention, it forms structurally a part of the meter mailing machine from whose side wall 7a it projects.

Platform 70 serves also as `a guideway for envelopes fed from the postage registering meter, in a manner forming no part of the invention as herein disclosed, whenever it is desired to use the machine for printing envelopes rather than labels.

While the exploded perspective view of Fig. 2 shows side wall 22 removed from side wall 7a of the postage registering meter, the machine of the present invention is actually attached to side wall 7a, walls 22 and 7a being screwed or bolted together. Preferably, the threaded apertures for the attachment screws or bolts are arranged in side wall 22 in easily accessible positions so as to facilitate mounting-and detachment of the unit.

Since Fig. 2 shows the meter mailing machine spaced from the rear wall of the mechanism, no operative connectionof shaft 7 and the subject mechanism is illus` trated therein. This connection is seen in Fig. 1 and can be understood from Fig. 2 when it is visualized that rear wall 22 of the mechanism is attached to the side wall of the machine and that the shaft is journaled in semi-circular aperture 22 provided therefor in the rear Wall and in thecircular bearing 74 in front wall 22a.

The comprehension of the invention-will be facilitated by the description of the structure according to the cycle of operation, as follows: the tape feeding mechanism, the tape cutting mechanism, printing and moistening devices, and means for selective operation of the mechanism for feeding cut labels or envelopes to the printing devices. Subsidiary features will be described in conjunction with the above structures.

The tape feeding mechanism Asshown in Fig. 2, a continuous length of tape is supplied4 to the apparatus from housing 1 through transverse slit 72. The tape passes between idler roll 3 and stud 2, which is xedly mounted between side walls 22 and 22a, to roller 4. Freely rotating roller 4 is provided with a plurality of rings forming a corrugated surface for better nip or gripping action on the tape. Guideway 5 eX- tends subjacently roller 4 and in surface conformity therewith, forming a support for the tape traveling from stud 2 |over roller 4 upwardly toward the cutting mechanism (described hereinafter). The guideway portion extending toward the cutting means is provided with a rectangular cut-out 5a. The tape is fed forwardly by means of rotating shaft 7 during that part of the shafts rotation when serrated cam surface 6 of the shaft is in contact with the tape.

A roller 8, formed preferably of resilient material, is mounted on one arm 9a lof two-armed lever 9, the latter being fulcrumed at 73. Coil spring 10 anchored to stud 10a protruding laterally from the rear wall of the unit biases the lower portion of lever 9, urging roller 8 to exert an upwardly directed pressure on the tape. This assures a firm grip of the tape between the serrated cam surface 6 and the roller. lt will be noted that roller 8 provides a yieldably resilient means without impairing the firmness of the grip.

The tape cutting mechanism Cam 11 is coaxially mounted on tape-.feeding shaft 7 and is arranged to engage an arm of tripartite lever 13,

which is both axially and circumferentially displaceablev on shaft 7. As shown in Fig. 2, a stud 75 is fixed on the inwardly directed face of cam 11. The corresponding face of cylinder 12S, which is keyed to shaft 7, is provided with an arcuate slot countersunk in relation to two twin apertures. On pulling theknob 7b, the front portion is axially displaced on shaft 7, disengaging stud 75 from one of the twin apertures; upon rotation of the knob, stud 75 engages the `other of the two apertures. The purpose of the arrangement just described is to selectively bring cam 11 into closer or more distant proximity to arm 77 of the tripartite lever 13 and thus to advance or to delay the action of said lever, as hereinafter explained. For a smooth contact with cam 11, arm 77 of lever 13 is furnished with a roller o-f resilient material.

The knife or the cutting mechanism consists of two parts; i. e., upper or stationary part 21 and lower swingable part 78. The underside of the part or blade 21 is serrated and the top of blade 78 is serrated complementarily to the serrati'ons of first-mentioned blade 21. Shaft 14 is rotatably journaled in side wall Z2 and carries the swingable tripartite lever 13 as Well as lower blade 73 of the cutting mechanism, the latter following the rocking of said tripartite lever. Depending on the position of cam 11 inrelation to arm 77, said arm will be sooner or later actuated in a predetermined timed relation. When pressed by cam 11, arm 77 rotates shaft 14 and brings the lower blade 78 synchronously into engagement with stationary upper blade 21, thus severing a predetermined length of tape. The serrations of the blades impart the characteristic toothed edges of the severed labels.

Printing and mostem'ng devices From the cutting mechanism the labels are received by guiding frame 24. This guideway is detachably connected to lugs 41 which protrude from the inner Walls of two disks 79 and 80. The guiding frame is shown in Figure 2 in an exploded projection. It comprises two side walls, an arcuate top wall and a lid 26 hingedly connected to said side walls. Each side wall is provided at its front portion with slot 24a snugly and slidably fitting lugs 41. Disks 79 and 80 are mounted on control shaft 19. The arcuate top wall of the guiding frame has a substantially rectangular cut-out 24h. At its opposite end, guiding frame 24 is pivotably supported on stud 81. The labels are conveyed along the guideway under printing roller 34 (see Fig. 1) by rotating companion platen 23, where they are printed in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Both printing roller 34 and companion platen 23 are mounted on the side of the meter mailing machine and are protruding towards the mechanism of the subject invention; platen 23 being arranged between the walls of the attachment in arcuate recess 22h.

Printing is effected by roller 34 carrying a suitable printing die. The printing roller is intermittently rotated each time slotted knob 124 is actuated. This knob is rotatably arranged on the outside wall of the meter mailing machine and is engaged by key 125 at the end of shaft 100. Control lever 99 is depressed each time it is desired to print a label, rotation of the lever causing rotation of knob 124. This knob is arranged to set in motion a mechanism inside the meter mailing machine, which rotates printing roller 34 and thereby imprints the label. This mechanism per se forms no part of the present invention and may, for instance, be the one described in my Patent No. 2,655,315 of October 13, 1953.

" The arc described by the control lever 99 on pressingi the latter for printing labels is limited to about 45. The control lever is prevented from moving beyond said' limit by means of pin 127 stationarily mounted on the inner side of the front wall. The pin presents a bar to the lever 114 which moves in unison with control lever 99. The lever 99 rotates shaft 100 in the following manner: the shaft is connected to disc 100:1 which carries a transversely protruding pin 100b. When lever 99 is depressed, lever 114, which is fixedly connected thereto, will rotate disc 100e and shaft 100 when pin 100b is engaged by the rotating lever 114. In the letter position, when envelopes are fed to the printing device over platform 70, a trip bar 109 protruding above the platform is depressed by the envelope, the trip bar also setting in motion the mechanism inside the meter mailing machine for rotating the printing roller in a manner hereinafter described. Subsequent to printing, the labels are -conveyed under lid 26 to a roller 82 freely rotating in a bath of water or some other liquid in receptacle 83; having been moistened by the protruding segment of the moistening roller, the labels are withdrawn by hand.

Receptacle 83 is arranged in an enclave dened by a comparatively small side wall 84 and support S5 attached to rear wall 22. Selector dial 86 is provided on front wall 22a and is displaceable in either of two positions: wet and dry. The selector dial 86 turns around shaft 87, the latter carrying two prongs of a fork 88. When the dial is in the wet position, as shown in Fig. 2, the prongs rest in a substantially horizontal position, but when the dial is turned in the counter-clockwise dry direction, the prongs are lifted upwardly and raise lid 26 of guiding frame 24, whereby the labels are passed above and out of contact with roller 82.

According to the thickness of tape or paper to be printed, more or less clearance is required between the printing roller and the companion platen. A proper clearance is adjustably set by a device arranged in the meter mailing machine and operated from the front wall -of the instant mechanism through the agency of a cam 42 mounted off center on shaft 43 on the rear wall (concealed from View). On the outside of the front wall, shaft 43 terminates in a nut 130 adjustably mounted in an arcuate slot forming part of a dial. According to the displacement of said nut in the slot, the cam 42 is rotated and produces intermediate a connection (not shown) in the meter mailing machine more or less clearance between the printing roller and the platen.

Selective `operation of tape and envelope feed systems Since the present invention is designed for the in conjunction with meter mailing machines furnished with means for handling both envelopes and tape, it is nece"- sary to provide a control mechanism for selectively operating a desired one of these means. To this end, a manually displaceable control handle 89 is arranged on the outside of the front wall on shaft 19, said handle having a pointer 89a positionable in either of two positions on an arcuate dial: the left pointer position (as shown on Fig. 2) being marked tape" and the right pcsition being marked letten The tilting of the handle is translated to shaft 19 and to disc-wheel 30 mounted on said shaft close to the rear wall. Disc-wheel 80,` as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, has two slots 95 and 96. When control handle 89 is in the tape position. arm 91 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 90 (see Fig. l) is urged by spring 20 to engage slot 95, but when the control handle is rotated clockwise to the letter position, disc-Wheel brings its slot 96 into the immediate proximity of arm 91. It will be readily understood that, when arm 91 is engaged by either of the two slots, shaft 19 cannot rotate and that it is free to rotate only when the hooked end of arm 91 is out of engagement with either of the two slots. The latter position is brought about a pin 92 arranged on cylinder 128 of shaft (see Fig. 2). On rotation of shaft 7, when pin 92 en- 5. counters hooked end 97 of arm91a of the bell-crank lever, it presses on the latter and thus constrains arm 91 out of engagement with either of slots 95 or 96. In this position, the shaft 19 is free to be rotated for tape or letten l Control handle 89 is held in position bythe provision of a stationary pin attached to the inner side of the 'front wall in juxtaposition to a slotted cam fxedly mounted on shaft 19 (not shown). The rotation of shaft 19 is limited in either position of the control handle by the portion of the cam protruding upwardly from either side of the slot, 'being stopped 'from further rotation by said stationary pin. Thus the control handle may be tilted to and fro in an arc of approximately 90.

Referring now to the yhereinbefore described resilient roller 8, this roller is rotatably mounted on lever 9, the latter rocking around fulcrum 73. The longer arm of the lever is in engagement with a slotted portion 98 of shaft 19. Portion 98 is so contoured that when the control handle is in the letter position, the slot of portion 98 is away from the longer arm of lever 9 and the latter is pressed by the full contour of said portion downwardly, thus bringing the resilient roller out of contact with serrated cam 6. It will be readily understood that due to this arrangement, no pressure is exerted on shaft 7 during the letterj i. e. the nonrotation period thereof. Contrariwise, the rotation of the control handle to the tape position, brings the slot of portion 98 toward the longer arm of lever 9, whereby the latter moves upwardly by the action of the spring 10, and thus lifts roller 8 into cooperation with serrated cam 6, making possible the advancement of the tape.

As hereinbefore described, guiding frame 24 is pivotably'supported by stud 81 at one end and is provided at the other end with twin slots 24a sliding in two corresponding lugs 41 protruding from disc-wheels 79 and 80 on shaft 19. When control handle 89 is positioned for tape, the above-mentioned discs follow the counterclockwise rotation of the handle andbring lugs 41, and, concomitantly, slots 24a of guiding frame 24 to the uppermost position, whereby the guiding frame is located in the path of the tape and capable of receiving the tape 'for further conveyance. On displacing control handle 89 in the clockwise direction for the letter position, the above-mentioned discs revolve in the same direction, thereby bringing the lugs 41 and, consequently, the guide frame 24 into the lowermost position, leaving the surface of horizontal plate 70 unobstructed for the conveyance of envelopes to the printing device.

When trip bar 109 is depressed by an envelope, the following levers will be operated:

Arm 101 iixedly connected to disc 100a is mounted on'shaft 100 and connected by link 102 to rocking arm 31 which is fulcrumed at 103. Spring 32 attached to the lower arm of lever 31 biases its upper arm toward shaft 7. Quadrant-shaped cam 12 of shaft 7 is arranged to engage a two-armed lever fulcrumed at 105. Arm 106 of this lever is arcuately shaped while its arm 107 terminates in pawl 107e engageable by pin 108 which is associated with trip bar 109. The trip bar is attached to the upper end of rocking lever 31. When cam 12 presses arm 106 down against the pull of spring 135, the pawl of arm 107 forces pin 108 upwardly against the bias of spring 33 and pivots trip bar 109 downwardly below the surface of guideway 70. The pawl is brought into engagement with the pin when arm 31 swings pin 108 into engaging position. Arm 31 will be free to rock only when control handle 39 is in letter position, as will now be explained.

Arm 31 will be held in fixed position and pawl 107a will remain out of engagement with pin 108 by operation of the following leverage:

Link 102 connects rocking arm 31with arm 101. Bar 123 is rigidly connected to arm` 101. A twoarmed lever 116, 118 is mounted on pivot 110, arm 116 being biased downwardly by spring 120 and extending toward bar 123.

6 Upwardly pressed arm 118 has a hooked extension which is adapted to engage, respectively, recesses 121 and 122 provided in disc-wheel 79 which is rigidly mounted on control shaft 19. Disc 79 actually consists of two adjacent wheels, slot 121 being provided in the front wheel (as seen in the drawing) while slot 122 is cut into the back wheel. When control handle 89 is turned to tape, disc 79 is rotated to such a position that slot-121 engages the hooked end of arm 118. When the control handle is on letten slot 122 of disc 79 will engage arm 118. shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, arm 116 will engage adjacent bar 123 when arm 118 is out of engagementwith slot 122, i. e., when shaft 19 with disc 79 are turned by handle 89 into the tape position. In this position, engagement of arm 116 with adjacent bar 123 holds f ily connected arm 101 in fixed position, thus preventing rocking of arm 31 which is linked to arm 101. When, in the letter position of shaft 19 and disc 79, slot 122 is turned adjacent to the hooked end of arm 118 `and this end is biased into the slot, arm ,116 will be pulled downwardly by spring 120, leaving bar 123 free to swing and permitting corresponding rocking of arm 31 under the action of cam 12, as hereinabove described. When shaft 19 and disc 79 are turned by handle 89 into the "tape position, as shown `in Fig. 2, arm 117 of a two-armed lever, which is also mounted on `pivot adjacent two-armed lever 116-118, is engaged with its hooked end by slot 121 in disc 79. (In this position, arm 118 is disengaged from slot 122 and arm 116 bars any movement of rocking arm 31.) When arm 117 is so engaged, the other arm of the two-armed lever is pulled downwardly by spring 119 and is out of contact with bar 114 which is loose on shaft 100 but rigidly interconnected with control handle .99, the latter being biased upwardly by a spring 100d attached to the upper portion of bnr 114 and anchored to a stud protruding frornrthe inner side of the front wall. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 100 between bars 114 and 123`is a disc 100C provided on its two circumferential sides withtwo pins 100a and 100!) protruding laterally in oppositev directions, the pin 100:1 toward bar 114 and pin 100b toward bar 123. When control shaft 19 is on" tape and tape printing control handle 99 is free to be revolved, the bar 114 connected to said handle being unobstructed by arm 115, bar 114 when moved forwardly by handle 99 encounters on its way the pin 100a on the disc 100C and revolves the disc which, as mentioned bef-ore, is lixedly mounted on shaft 100, thereby turning knob 124 whichactuates the printing roller. The other pin 1001; on disc 100e performs an identical function relative to bar 123 and arm 101. When the control shaft 19 is in the letter position and lever 116 does not obstruct the movement of bar 123, arm 101 and rocking arm 31, arm 101 being. loose on shaft 100, bar 123 is moved forward by the rocking of arm 31 and encounters pin 100i), revolving disc 100C xedly mounted on shaft 100, thereby actuating theknob `121i associated with the printing roller.

From the above description, it will be clearv that by means of a group of interacting levers, the entire mechanism maybe operated selectively for tape or letter printing simply. by turning handle 89 to the selected position. Following is a description of a safety mechanism operas tive upon tearing of the tape: l

Two-armed lever 35, mounted on pivot 110, is linked to bell-crank lever 36 whichis pivoted at 111 and biased by spring 112. Arm 37 is connected to pivot 111 and abuts with its upper end against the bottom of the tape fed over cut-out 5a of guideway 5. Spring 112 biases arm 37 against the tape. When the tape tears and thus offers no resistance to the pressure of arm 37, the latter enters cutout 5a, rocking bell-crank lever36 and pivoting two-armed lever 35 so that its arm adjacent bar 114 comes in contact therewith. This will lock bar 114 in position and will prevent rotation of shaft 100 and downward actuation of handle 99, thereby stopping functioningof the tape mechanism.

For the convenience of inserting the tape, arm 37 may be pivoted out of cut-out a by means of plunger 133 abutting bell-crank lever 36. When pushed inwardly against the pressure of coil spring 134, the plunger will pivot arm 37 away from guideway 5 and will thus permit the tape to be inserted therein, which will restore the normal tape mechanism.

Unlike conventional meter mailing machines, the cutting of the labels in the mechanism of the present invention is effected prior to printing.

lt is understood that the disclosure described hereinabove is for the purpose of illustrating one particular embodiment of the invention and that various omissions and changes in shape, proportion and arrangement ct' parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination with a meter mailing machine comprising a rotating shaft, a continuously rotatable printing platen, and an intermittently rotatable printing roller: a casing detachably mounted on the machine, with the rotating shaft, the printing platen and roller extending into the casing; and arranged in said casing means for supplying a continuous length of tape, said tape supply means being operable by and upon rotation of said shaft and including a tape supply control shaft selectively adjustable for tape feed and non-feed positions, an apertured guideway receiving said length of tape, a resilient pressure roll subjacent the aperture in the guideway, a cam fiXedly mounted on said rotating shaft and adjacent said pressure roll, the tape between the pressure roll and the cam being conveyed upon adjustment of the tape control shaft to the tap feed position; a tape cutting mechanism adjacent the tape supply means for cutting tape fed thereto into labels; guide means for guiding the labels between the printing roller and the platen, said labels being conveyed by the rotating printing platen; means for rotating the printing roller; a control mechanism for selectively operating the tape supply control shaft; and trip means actuatable under pressure contact of an envelope contacted with the trip means when said tape supply control shaft is in the non-feed position for rotating the printing roller.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said cutting mechanism comprises a stationary upper blade, a pivotable lower blade arranged in cooperating relationship and arranged to engage said rocking lever upon rota- 'fftion of the shaft to rock said lower blade into cutting engagement with the upper blade.

3. The combination of claim 2, comprising means for circumferentially adjusting the position of said cam means on the rotating shaft.

4. The combination of claim l, wherein said tape supply means also comprises a two-armed lever, the pressure roll being mounted on one of the lever arms, resilient means connected to the other lever arm for biasing the one arm with the pressure roll against the tape on said guideway, a cam xedly mounted on said rotating shaft and adjacent the pressure roll, and selective means on said tape supply control shaft, a selected one of said last-mentioned means engaging said one arm and depressing it against the bias of said resilient means to remove the pressure roll from the tape and thereby stop the tape supply, and another selected one of said last-mentioned means engaging the one arm without counteracting the resilient means bias, thereby gripping the tape between the pressure roll and said cam and conveying the tape upon rotation of the rotating shaft.

5. The combination of claim 1, comprising a disc xedly mounted on said tape supply control shaft and having two recesses in its periphery, a bell-crank lever adjacent said disc, resilient means for biasing one end of said bell-crank lever into engagement with a selected one of said recesses thereby holding the tape supply control shaft in fixed position, and a pin mounted on the rotating shaft and arranged to contact the bell-crank lever upon rotation of the latter Shaft, the contacting pin exerting pressure on said lever against the resilient means bias, thereby releasing the lever from said recess and leaving the tape supply control shaft free for rotation.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein the guide means for guiding the labels to the printing roller cornprises an apertured guide frame, a lid hingedly mounted on said frame at one end thereof, two fixed discs mounted on the tape supply control shaft, hinged connecting means between the other end of the guide frame and said discs, the hinged connecting means being so located on said discs that the frame is moved into a selected upper and lower position upon rotation of the tape supply control shaft.

7. The combination of claim 6, comprising a label moistening device adjacent the hinged lid, said device including a liquid-containing receptacle, a moistening roller mounted in said receptacle and protruding therefrom, and means for selectively lifting and lowering said hinged lid, whereby labels passing over said lid will be selectively in and out of Contact with the moistening roller.

8. The combination of claim 1, comprising an inter' mittently rotatable member for rotating the printing roller, a control member and a transverse shaft mounted in said casing with one end engaged by the intermittently rotatable member, and means for rotating the transverse shaft to actuate the intermittently rotatable member.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the last-mentioned means comprises a lever system actuatable selectively by said tape supply means control shaft and by said trip means, means being provided to de-activate the one when the other is in operation.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the lever system actuatable by said trip means comprises a rocking arm, a trip bar attached to said rocking arm and being engageable by an envelope, a two-armed lever having one arm terminating in a pawl, a pin connected with said trip bar, means for biasing the pin into engagement with said one arm, a cam on said rotating shaft, means for biasing the other arm of the two-armed lever against the cam, rotating of the cam pivoting the twoarmed lever to engage the pin in the pawl and rock said rocking arm, and a link to connect said rocking arm with the transverse shaft to rotate the shaft by rocking the arm.

l1. The combination of claim 10, comprising two additional two-armed levers, each of said last-mentioned levers being selectively pivotable by rotation of said tape supply control shaft, one of said latter levers barring movement of said rocking arm when the other one of said levers permits operation of the intermittently rotatable member, and vice versa.

12. In a mechanism for feeding a continuous length of tape, cutting the tape into labels, and printing the labels by means of an intermittently rotating printing roller, in combination: a guideway for the length of the tape, an arm pivotable to engage the tape, lever means connected to said arm, and an actuating member for rotating the printing roller, Said lever means being engageable by said actuating member, the lever means being out of engagement therewith when the pivotable arm engages the tape and being pivoted into engagement References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Strother Feb. 17, 1942 Thatcher Feb. 17, 1942 Ryan et al. June 6, 1944 Ryan et al. July 4, 1944 Ryan et al. June 5, 1945 

